Incoming call and other odd occurences

[Space Toker]

First, let me say I feel for the victims and family of the marathon bombing. Second, I am at least 70 miles away but still there was increased troubling activity when I went out today, a weird creepy vibe everywhere overall. Should have just stayed put.

What this thread is REALLY about is just weird things happening and possible explanations for it. For instance, I keep getting all kinds of calls from all over the country, despite no one knowing I exist. Most are annoying telemarketers (and I am on a no call list!), but what troubles me are the endless calls that leave a hangup message without saying anything. I got caller ID and sometimes it just says "Incoming call" or maybe even "private caller" at times. I almost always ignore it, but the few times I have answered, there is just silence on the other end and no voice. What is up with that?

 

[Mr.Fastcast]

I always like the message with the telemarketers having a conversation.

They probably get pissed off at you for not getting a sale off of you and messing with ya.

This has happened to me a couple of times when I answer too,so your not alone.

PS I'm on that list also and it's a scam!As you know.I think I had like eight calls today alone.

Prayers have been said for all.

 

[Space Toker]

yeah man several a day usually for me too! The cable company keeps bugging me to sign up for more services. I ignore the call and they never leave a message but they keep on calling! And yeah I keep getting "press one to lower your loans it is your last chance to take advantage of the stimulus!" I have no loans and know there was no stimulus for average folk. so much annoying scam attempts!

 

[inquest]

Coworker of mine got a call from a non-working number at work..... How the hell does that work?!?!

I've gotten some random ass calls lately too..... Call the number back and it's restricted or non working... odd...

 

[CheifnBud2]

I wouldent worry about it. I think paranoia is catching up with you. I get calls from all over the country... Sometimes private callers as well. Just telemarketers.

 

[HOPS5K]

When I moved into my second apartment, I used to get calls at 3:33 AM..it seemed like someone else was on the line, too...kinda scared me, but it stopped.

I told some friends and family, one of them told me 3 AM was the Devil's Hour and weird stuff happens like that.

 

[igrowone]

i think there is a more mundane explaination
telemarketers calling multiple numbers, they're trying to sift through as many pigeons as they can
they don't get many hits, so they up it with volume
so they annoy people with a dead phone line, not a problem for them

 

[Stoner4Life]

in the old days automated systems dialed 1000s of phone #s daily to see what time of day each # actually answered the phone, then it provided this mined information to telemarketers who were able to complete calls more effectively and make their sales pitches based on that info.

today everyone has some sort of voicemail, especially to screen unknown incoming calls so I'm not sure that marketing ploy would work unless the newer systems could tell the difference between an outgoing voicemail message or someone actually answering their phone.

 

[darkshadow]

I got caller ID and sometimes it just says "Incoming call" or maybe even "private caller" at times. I almost always ignore it, but the few times I have answered, there is just silence on the other end and no voice. What is up with that?

Last time someone did this to me, i called them back and got a message saying "The number you're trying to reach is not in service." which is even stranger.

I have a couple theories on why this is happening.

1. I heard it's a common practice used by robbers to figure out whether you're at home or not.

2. If you're an important person, someone could be trying to steal your "voice" using a device to impersonate you later on.

This is all a little far fetched tho, it could just be a fail prank call or a creep calling people and jacking off.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

Sounds more like someone/something is messing with the phone system in your area.

Does it get worse when the humidity is high?

I've lived in places where I had issues with this. No problem like that since I switched to cell-phones only, no landlines... just telemarketers and standard stuff nowdays.

Stay Safe!

 

[dagnabit]

its a robodialer..
nothing suspicious at all.
there are these things called computers. when used in conjunction with telephones they can do some neat stuff.
as for the do not call.. you need to re register annually to be covered also after carrier changes.
the DNC only works if people report violations.

 

[BOMBAYCAT]

Hey Space: I read where telemarketers have a dialing machine that dials way more numbers then what they have for workers so you get a dead air call. Also it could be telemarketers trying to see what time you are home so they can pitch their product better. Also it could be some criminals trying to see if you are gone so they can break in better.

I get a lot of dead calls every day so I just quite answering. I've got a message machine I can check several times a day so if I get a real call I can get back to them. I agree with the folks above that the "no call list" is a scam.

 

[skullznroses]

Why do you guys keep talking about Telemark skiing? All this talk has me worked up. Time to go spring skiing on the East Coast. Ski the East!

 

[GrassRoots]

Hey Space: I read where telemarketers have a dialing machine that dials way more numbers then what they have for workers so you get a dead air call. Also it could be telemarketers trying to see what time you are home so they can pitch their product better. Also it could be some criminals trying to see if you are gone so they can break in better.

I get a lot of dead calls every day so I just quite answering. I've got a message machine I can check several times a day so if I get a real call I can get back to them. I agree with the folks above that the "no call list" is a scam.

Yes, I've worked for companies that use automated dialers and I've even spent a few months running one for a multibillion dollar corporation's collection department. We dial way more lines than we have collectors because only 1 out of 3 or 1 out of 4 of those lines will get picked up by a live person, maybe less depending on the time of day.

The guy who is running the dialer is trying to achieve a good balance between not having collectors (or salesmen or whatever) sitting there too long, waiting for a call, and not having people on the other end hanging up because they're waiting too long for a collector to become available.

The company I work for now also uses an automated dialer, but this is a small company, under 1000 employees. I don't know what kind of antiquated technology we're using at this place but even if I'm waiting for a call for a minute, when I get, for instance, an answering machine on the line it's common for it to be halfway through the message when the call comes through to me, meaning our dialer has a pretty big lag time in routing the calls to us.

I'd say, the majority of the time you pick up the phone and it's dead air, if you wait there for up to 15 seconds, someone will eventually come on the line.

 

[oejack9]

Predictive dialers do suck....I worked on them back in the 90's when the technology was still in it's infancy stage...The project I worked on was for a telecom firm in Boston by the name of Davox....back in the old days...lol it was a hybrid system that used mirco soft nt servers SunMicro Spark 60's and used Lucent tech digital PBX switch's. The servers held the call tables..ie a few thousand phone numbers and names ect...it also has whats called a script,it's a canned speach type of thing that the agent reads when a live connect occurs. switch dials at a ratio of about 3 dials per manned desk when the dialed makes whats called a live dectect it passes the call to an agent and they whats called a screen pop which is the name of those dialed so in theory you shouldn't have dead air....as with all technology it doesn't always work that way hence dead air calls.

 

[Tudo]

Maybe they just like your voice

 

[watts]

if you answer the phone pick it up but don't say anything unless they do or see if they hang up first after you pick up and don't say anything.

 

[oejack9]

watts is right most are set for a 3 second live detect.....so you give it dead air for 3 seconds or more in theory it should auto disconnect....you can mess with it a bit if you have your answering maching start in less then 3 seconds from going off hook.....you can make the pinheads start their talk off to a machine and screw up their numbers.I was a Sr.telecomm. engineer for SunMicro Systems and a few other Tech companies for a very long time....hoep this helps.

 

[Space Toker]

Coworker of mine got a call from a non-working number at work..... How the hell does that work?!?!

I've gotten some random ass calls lately too..... Call the number back and it's restricted or non working... odd...

yeah dude, I have had numbers that are all 1's and 0's!

I wouldent worry about it. I think paranoia is catching up with you. I get calls from all over the country... Sometimes private callers as well. Just telemarketers.

That happened long ago but I am ok I assure you! But yeah telemarketers suck!

When I moved into my second apartment, I used to get calls at 3:33 AM..it seemed like someone else was on the line, too...kinda scared me, but it stopped.

I told some friends and family, one of them told me 3 AM was the Devil's Hour and weird stuff happens like that.

well never anything that late, I think like 8 am to 9 pm. that would suck for sure!

ok got through post 6 all I can handle for now, thanks for all the responses!

 

[oejack9]

Calls from a non working number are wwhats called spoofing in the telecomm industry...if you google you'll find a host of services that offer it....the way it works is you pick the ucid that you want to show on the I.D. (ucid=universla caller I.D.) if you're looking to freak out someone you use a number like 666-666-6666...or you can have the call look like it's comming from another country...get the idea.....alot of placed are trying to regulate it for obvious reasons.Sorry I'm old school phone geek.